Swedish Social Democratic Party facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti
Abbreviation	S or SAP
Chairperson	Magdalena Andersson
Secretary-General	Tobias Baudin
Parliamentary group leader	Lena Hallengren
Founded	23 April 1889; 136 years ago (1889-04-23)
Headquarters	Sveavägen 68, Stockholm
Student wing	Social Democratic Students of Sweden
Youth wing	Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
Women's wing	Social Democratic Women in Sweden
Religious wing	Religious Social Democrats of Sweden
LGBT wing	LGBT Social Democrats of Sweden
Membership (2023)	80,000
Ideology	Social democracy
Political position	Centre-left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance
European Parliament group	Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Nordic affiliation	SAMAK The Social Democratic Group
Colours	Red
Riksdag	107 / 349
European Parliament	5 / 21
County councils	576 / 1,720
Municipal councils	3,771 / 12,614

The Swedish Social Democratic Party, also known as The Social Democrats (in Swedish: Socialdemokraterna), is a major political party in Sweden. It is considered a centre-left party that follows social democratic ideas.

The party was started in 1889. It is the oldest and currently the largest political party in Sweden. For many years, from the 1930s to the 1980s, the Social Democrats were very popular. They often won more than 40% of the votes in elections.

The party was in charge of the government for a long time, from 1932 to 1976 without a break. They also led the government for most of the years between 1982 and 2022. Since 2022, they have been in the opposition. The current leader of the Social Democratic Party is Magdalena Andersson. She was also the first female Prime Minister in Sweden's history.

What is the Social Democratic Party?

The Social Democratic Party is officially called the Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party. Its main goals are "freedom, equality, and solidarity". This means they want a society where everyone is treated fairly and helps each other.

The party believes in a democratic economy. This means that economic decisions should be made in a way that benefits everyone, not just a few. They want a society where people contribute based on their abilities and receive what they need.

How the Party Started

The Social Democratic Party was founded in 1889. It was part of a larger group of socialist parties around the world called the Second International. Early on, the party was influenced by Marxism, which is a way of thinking about society and economics. However, these ideas changed over time.

In 1917, some members left to form a new party, which is now known as the Left Party. This shows that the Social Democrats were always adapting their ideas.

How the Party Grew Strong

The party became strong because more working-class people gained the right to vote. Also, trade unions (groups that protect workers' rights) and other community groups helped organize people. Unlike in many other countries, the Swedish socialists were able to form a strong group early in the 20th century.

Leaders like Hjalmar Branting helped the party be flexible and practical. They were willing to work with other groups, like liberals and farmers. This helped them succeed, especially during tough times like the Great Depression. They used economic ideas that helped the country recover.

Recent History and Changes

In 2007, Mona Sahlin became the first woman to lead the Social Democratic Party. For a while, the party worked with the Greens and the Left Party. This group was called the Red–Greens. They ran in the 2010 election together but lost. The alliance later ended.

The party is part of international groups like the Progressive Alliance and the Party of European Socialists. These groups connect social democratic parties from different countries.

How the Party is Organized

The Social Democratic Party has been the largest party in the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) since 1914. Many of its members are blue-collar workers (people who do manual labor) and people who work for the government.

The party has a strong connection with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO). This is a big group of trade unions in Sweden. The party also works with business groups to make important decisions about the country's economy.

Groups Within the Party

The Social Democratic movement includes several special groups:

• The Social Democratic Women in Sweden (S-kvinnor) is for women.
• The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is for young people.
• The Social Democratic Students of Sweden is for university students.
• The Religious Social Democrats of Sweden is for members with religious beliefs.
• The LGBT Social Democrats of Sweden is for queer people.

The Party's Success Over Time

The Social Democratic Party had its best period from the mid-1930s to the mid-1980s. During this time, they often received around 45% of the votes. This made them one of the most successful parties in democratic countries.

In some elections, like in 1940 and 1968, they even got more than 50% of the votes. In 1940, many parties worked together because of World War II. In 1968, the party was very popular.

The party's support comes from many different people across Sweden. However, it is especially strong among organized blue-collar workers.

Decline in Recent Years

Since 2006, the Social Democratic Party has seen a decrease in its share of votes. In the 2006 Swedish general election, they received their lowest percentage of votes ever (34.99%) in an election with universal suffrage (where everyone can vote). This led to them losing power.

They lost support from groups like pensioners and trade union members. In the 2018 Swedish general election, their vote share dropped to 28.3%, which was their lowest since 1908.

In the 2022 Swedish general election, the Social Democrats were still the largest party with 30.3% of the votes. However, a group of right-wing parties won more seats in parliament, so the Social Democrats went into opposition.

Party's Ideas and Impact

The Social Democratic Party has greatly influenced Swedish politics because it held power for many years. Its ideas are based on making society fair and democratic.

Key Ideas

The party strongly supports egalitarianism, which means believing that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities. They are against discrimination and racism.

They support social welfare programs, which provide help and services to people. These programs are paid for by progressive taxation, meaning people with higher incomes pay a larger percentage in taxes. The party also believes in a system where the government works with businesses and trade unions to solve problems and make economic decisions.

The Social Democrats also support the idea of ending the monarchy in Sweden.

Influence of Liberalism

Ideas from Liberalism have also shaped the Social Democratic Party. They focus on providing security for people. Former Prime Minister Tage Erlander said that security is "too big a problem for the individual to solve with only his own power." This means the government should help ensure people's safety and well-being.

Early leaders like Hjalmar Branting believed in making reforms to improve workers' lives, rather than waiting for a big revolution. This practical approach helped the party succeed.

The party has been very good at connecting with different groups of people. They saw the middle class as "working people" who also needed support. They even worked with small farmers, seeing them as part of the "exploited classes." This helped them build broad support.

The "People's Home" Idea

A famous idea from the Social Democrats is the "Folkhemmet," or the "People's Home." Per Albin Hansson, a former Prime Minister, introduced this idea in 1928. He said that Sweden should be like a good home where everyone feels welcome and equal.

He explained that in a good home, there are no special members or neglected ones. Everyone has equality, helps each other, and works together. He wanted Swedish society to be like this, breaking down barriers between rich and poor, rulers and dependents. This idea helped the party gain even more support.

Building the Welfare State

The Social Democratic Party is known for building Sweden's welfare state after World War II. This system includes progressive taxes, fair trade, and policies to keep unemployment low.

Economists like Gösta Rehn and Rudolf Meidner developed important labor market policies. These policies aimed to set fair wages and encourage businesses to be efficient. The government also provided training and help for workers to find new jobs if needed. They worked to ensure "equal pay for equal work" and kept incomes rising.

The party focused on providing public services through local governments, like schools and healthcare, rather than just giving out money. These policies made Sweden a country with high quality of life and low inequality.

Foreign Policy and Challenges

Olof Palme, a Social Democratic leader and Prime Minister in the 1970s.

Under the Social Democrats, Sweden remained neutral during 20th-century wars, including the Cold War. This helped Sweden's economy grow because it was not damaged by war.

Prime Minister Olof Palme was known for speaking out against the Vietnam War. This caused some tension with the United States. Later, in 2003, a leading Social Democratic politician, Anna Lindh, was assassinated. She had criticized the Iraq War. Her death was a big loss for the party.

The policy of neutrality has changed more recently. Sweden has sent troops to support international efforts, for example, in Afghanistan.

Changes in Economic Policy

In the 1970s, workers in very successful companies started asking for a share of the profits. A proposal was made to put these extra profits into funds controlled by the workers. However, business owners strongly opposed this, seeing it as too much like socialism.

The 1980s were a difficult time for Sweden. Industries changed a lot, and Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in 1986. Swedish businesses also started investing more in other European countries. The Social Democratic Party began to change some of its economic policies, reducing high taxes and focusing more on controlling inflation.

When the Social Democrats returned to power in 1994, after a period of economic crisis, they made more changes. They stabilized the currency and made some cuts to the welfare state. They also supported Sweden joining the European Union (EU).

The 21st Century

In the 21st century, many parts of Sweden's social democratic welfare state continued to work well. This was partly due to strong trade unions and public support for welfare. The Social Democrats made some adjustments, like slightly increasing taxes on high earners and reducing taxes on food.

By the early 2000s, Sweden had a strong economy. The quality of life was high, and inequality was low.

The Social Democratic Party also works on environmentalist and feminist policies. These policies aim to create healthy and fair conditions for everyone. Feminist policies include paid maternity and paternity leave, good jobs for women in the public sector, and encouraging women's participation in politics.

In 2006, the Social Democrats lost the election after some natural disasters. People felt the government had not handled the crisis well. Mona Sahlin became party leader in 2007.

After losing elections in 2010, Stefan Löfven became party leader in 2012. He became Prime Minister in 2014, leading a government with the Green Party.

In the 2018 Swedish general election, the Social Democrats' vote share fell again. However, they still formed a government with the Green Party.

In 2021, Stefan Löfven resigned, and Magdalena Andersson became the new leader. On 30 November 2021, she became Sweden's first female Prime Minister. She led a government made up only of Social Democrats.

In October 2022, a new Prime Minister from a conservative party took over. This meant the Social Democratic Party went back into opposition, even though they were still the largest party in Sweden.

Party Leaders

Images for kids

• 

  Hjalmar Branting, the first elected Social Democratic Prime Minister in 1920.

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  Prime Minister Tage Erlander at a TV debate in 1967.

• 

  Alexis Bjorkman.

• 

  Logo of the party between 1967 and 1987.

• 

  Göran Persson, a Social Democratic leader, who was Prime Minister for ten years.

See also

In Spanish: Partido Socialdemócrata Sueco para niños